


A New Destiny

by disenchantedphoenix



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Modern AU, deaf larry, nonbinary Ahkmenrah, warning: mer is an ass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 15:23:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5545043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disenchantedphoenix/pseuds/disenchantedphoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU featuring a nonbinary Ahkmenrah, a jerk Merenkahre, and a deaf Larry that could really honestly be arrested for how often he's hanging outside Ahk's window.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Destiny

**Author's Note:**

> Secret Santa gift for f-yeahronswanson. I hope you like it and Merry Christmas!

Ahkmenrah took a deep breath, clutching his papers closer in an effort to shield off whatever the day may throw at him.. Every day in this place was a struggle; every day here was spent wishing he were somewhere else, doing something else, with a different destiny laid out. New York was so big, so beautiful. There were countless other opportunities to take advantage of, but none of them were open to Ahk, not when his parents micromanaged every aspect of his life. For him, getting an ounce of freedom was a miracle.

He pushed through the doors of the accounting firm, staring downwards as all eyes locked in on his presence. It was already too much to be known as the daughter of the boss, the person who would one day inherit the firm; that made people dislike him enough. But now there had to be new gossip circulating about Ahk, and it made his days at the firm even worse.

When their daughter suddenly put away the pencil skirts in favor of suits tailored to men, Shepseheret and Merenkahre hadn’t said much.When she cut her hair short, the formerly long pin curls now bunched around her ears and eyes, they had still stayed quiet. Even when she had begun binding her chest, they hadn’t opened their mouths. But their displeasure was clear. Ahk had an image to uphold, after all. He wasn’t supposed to deviate from the norm, lest it bring his father bad publicity. And _this,_ this new way of dressing and speaking and living, did not coincide with his parents’ outdated definition of normal.

They’d had one real conversation about the matter, and it had lasted no more than a few minutes. His father had called him into the kitchen one day, Shepseheret by his side, and had quickly, shorty, quietly asked if he was transgender.

“No,” he replied.“I’m nonbinary.”

Merenkahre seemed confused. “I have no idea what that means. But you look like a man now, and I want to know why.”

In his mind, Ahk sighed loudly. “I would prefer to be addressed as a male, yes.”

That much was true; Ahk did want to use male pronouns. He doubted his parents understood his new identity, though. Try as he might to explain, they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, comprehend. But they did make an effort to use the correct pronouns, and he was grateful. There was already too much going on at the time, what with new responsibilities at work and Kah being up in arms once he found out he was no longer going to inherit the firm. Ahk had not the time, energy, nor heart to explain any further.  

But, unfortunately, their obsession with Ahk’s social life had been triggered once more, and now there was no escape from their prying eyes. Where before he had been able to get away with meeting friends every once in awhile, taking a day off here and there, now there was no such thing. Now his parents refused to let him stay home unless incredibly ill, and he hadn’t seen Amelia in person for weeks. His only contact with his best friend was through text messages, and Ahk had no idea when they would relax their hold. It was as if his parents thought that cutting him off from everything but work and home life would somehow mold him into the perfect child to inherit their fortune. In a strange turn of events, it seemed they didn’t have a problem with Ahk’s gender, they just didn’t want others to know about it; they just wanted their family’s perfect reputation intact. They wanted Ahk to live a lie. And somehow, that hurt much worse than outright refusal.

In the elevator, he allowed himself another breath, falling against the wall. Smoothing out the wrinkles in his jacket, Ahk wondered once again how much more of this he could take. This was not the life he wanted. For what felt like the hundredth time, he considered his options.

He could still get into NYU. Stellar grades in high school, countless instances of participation in clubs and organizations (mostly to get his parents off his back, mostly to get away from his parents), community service, and a well-known name to boot? He was a shoe-in for acceptance. But unless he would be majoring in accounting or finance, Merenkahre and Shepseheret were not about to foot the bill. And Ahk wouldn’t be doing that. He would be majoring in art, in creative writing, in film-making, or in history; all the majors that supposedly meant nothing, that would get him nowhere, and would take Ahk as far away from accounting and money and _math_ as he could get.

The elevator bell dinged, signaling arrival, and the doors opened not long after. Ahk was quick to straighten up, looking as professional as he could manage. He hurried through through the large, open lobby, head down, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. He only raised his eyes once, briefly, and gave the receptionist a small smile. Wea was never anything but kind to him, to everyone. She was the only one here who deserved his attention. Everyone else was too lost in their own greed to see straight.

Sliding through the door to his office (an office for an _intern,_ on the top floor no less; it was no wonder everyone hated him), he relished in hearing it shut, cutting off the gazes and noise of the lobby. Numbers and figures were waiting for him on the desk, he had no doubt. Hand delivered by his father, sitting neatly next to a calculator, notebook paper, and a freshly sharpened pencil. _Always check the figures twice,_ Merenkahre’s voice spoke in his mind, as if on cue. _Once electronically and once by hand_ . _You never know where you might make a mistake._

Right. God forbid anything interesting happened.

He turned, already dreading the monotonous work, and immediately uttered a small scream. The folder of papers slid from his grasp, scattering across the floor.

The most prominent feature of Ahkmenrah’s office was the floor to ceiling window looking out onto New York City. From it, a person could see the streets below, pick out people the size of ants. Ahkmenrah spent a good deal of time staring out this window (seeing as he got payed by the hour, and hey, who was going to yell at the boss’s son for not getting shit done? Except maybe the boss). Often, he imagined himself in the place of those below, wishing he could be anyone else. It was by far his favorite feature of the office. Tall, imposing, and absolute, the window gave Ahk a view of the kind of life he may have in the future. Assuming he gets lucky.

The man standing in the center of the glass, however, was not a usual sight.

It took a few moments of heavy breathing and shaking on Ahk’s to realize that no, this man was not floating in midair thousands of feet above the street, he was hanging in a harness held in place by cables and wires, and he was here to wash windows. Obviously.

The man was giving Ahk a curious look through the glass. Probably due to the flailing and the flying papers. Honestly, he’d almost had a heart attack. Quickly, Ahk signed the words _I’m fine, sorry._

The man seemed to understand. He nodded, smiled, but his face still held a concerned expression. Ahk could see it in the way his brows were slightly knitted, lips tight. He was taken back by the expressiveness of the man’s face.

Ahk took in the stranger’s features as he walked the length of the room, slowly making his way to the window; the man’s strong jaw, blue eyes, brown hair that look incredibly soft to the touch. On a whim, he placed a palm against the glass, as if reaching out a hand to the man on the other side. The coldness of the glass startled him however, and as he glanced down in surprise, the strange sort of trance between them was broken.

The window washer glanced away from him, opening his mouth as if to say something. When he realized how useless of an action that would be, he simply smiled and pulled on the wire to his right, raising the harness to the next row of windows.  

Ahk watched him go, feeling his face heat up. He’d never seen that man before, but he was starting to wonder how it was possible to have never noticed him.

***

Ahkmenrah did see the man again. And, strangely enough, it was all thanks to his father.

Merenkahre had a rule in regards to window washers, cleaners, and  “the help” in general. They were not allowed to clean in any room where people were working, as it was apparently a distraction that could cost the firm money should a mistake be made. Needless to say, this could complicate things.

Ahkmenrah thought the rule was ridiculous, though no one ever asked his opinion. But this time it was working in his favor. This window washer could not finish his job until Ahk left his office, as per Merenkahre’s rules. And Ahk never left his office. Not even for lunch. He stayed there from morning until evening, often waiting for everyone else to go home before stepping out, and by then it was too late and too dark to clean anything.

Part of him felt bad for denying this man the right to finish his job, but hey, Ahk was pretty sure he got payed by the hour too. Besides, this was a tall building; there was no shortage of work for him to do.

Around lunch the next day, Ahk looked up from his thermos of soup to see the same man hovering outside his window, eyebrows raised.

 _Sorry,_ Ahk mouthed through the glass, habit dictating that he sign the words as well. He did his best to look chagrined. _I’m really busy_ . _Can’t leave._

(That was a lie. He hadn’t looked at a paper in half and hour. He was playing Candy Crush on his phone.)

The man pointed to the food on his desk. _That’s not work,_ he signed back.

Ahk was too surprised at getting an answer to come up with any cheeky responses. _You know sign language?_

_Yes._

_Are you deaf?_

_Yes. Are you?_

Ahk shook his head. _My brother._

They stared at each other, each with a certain degree of bewilderment. To meet someone else (hanging outside his window, and _cute_ no less) with the same fluency in ASL was unexpected, to say the least.

After a moment, the man continued, _Sorry, but I need to clean here. Are you leaving soon?_

 _No._ Feeling guilty, Ahk tried to form an excuse. _I don’t get out much._

_I’d think someone as cute as you would go out all the time._

Ahk felt his face heat up, certain that he had misunderstood the signs. But the little smirk on the other man’s face was proof enough that he hadn’t. Embarrassed, he bit his lip, glancing up but unable to meet the man’s eyes. The window washer, whose name Ahk still did not know, laughed, and with a small wave he disappeared to the next set of windows.

Ahk did not get much work done that afternoon. His head was in the clouds.

***

It was raining outside. Ahk could just barely make out the streaks of raindrops flying past his window, but the cloudy grey skies left nothing to the imagination. He lay against his desk, allowing himself to fall into a stupor as he watched the rain fall. However, said stupor was abruptly broken by the buzzing of his phone.

Ah, yes; the outside world. That existed.

 

**From: Amelia**

**Long time no see. Hope your surviving. Don’t forget this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM**

 

With some amount of curiosity, Ahk opened the link. The song that began playing immediately brought a smile to his face, ending the melancholy that had seemed to hold him all day. Nothing could brighten his mood like Taylor Swift.

Sure enough, the song had him on his feet within thirty seconds. Ahk loved _Shake It Off,_ and hell, it wasn’t as if anyone could see him. His door was locked and he was on the twenty-third floor. Let him flail around like an idiot.  

Two minutes into flamboyantly mouthing the words to the song, waving his arms above his head, and swinging his hips while twirling wildly around his office, Ahk became aware of the the figure watching him from the window. He stopped dead.

There was that window washer again, positively howling with laughter. When he noticed Ahk had stopped, he said, _keep going, I want to see your big finish._

Face burning, Ahk was quick to switch off the music. He turned his back, busying himself with papers on his desk so that the man would not see the mortified expression on his face. He felt ridiculous.

There was a knocking on the glass.

Nope. He would not give him the satisfaction.

A few moments passed. The knocking came again, more insistent.

Ahk supposed one look wouldn’t hurt.  

The man had the good grace to look ashamed, at least. _Sorry, that was mean. You just looked adorable._

Ahk shrugged off the compliment, if it was a compliment. _What’s your name, anyway?_

_L-a-r-r-y._

_That’s a stupid name._

Larry actually grinned. _I deserved that._

Ahk cracked a smile back. _What are you doing out in the rain?_

_My job._

Rolling his eyes, Ahk replied, _Working hard, I see._

_Back at you._

He couldn’t help it, he laughed. _You better start working, or I’ll report you._ Surprisingly, he found himself giving Larry eyes through the glass. How long had it been since he’d flirted? _You don’t want to get on my bad side, mister._

Larry laughed again, winked, and was gone.

Once alone, Ahk slowly sat down again. He was pretty sure the weakness in his knees wasn’t due to the dancing.

***

The door slammed shut, bang resonating through Ahk’s office, leaving a startling quiet in its wake. The silence was in high contrast to the harsh, deafening voice of his father.

Tears were streaming down Ahk’s face, he could feel their damp tracks on his cheeks. Instead of wiping them away, he crossed his arms, hugging them close to his body and catching his forearms in an iron grip. His breathing, though ragged, began to steady after a few moments.

He had made a mistake, that much was clear. Bringing up his interest in enrolling at NYU was strike one. His father’s words still rang in his head. _Why do you need that school? Haven’t I taught you everything you need to know?_ Ahk, against his better judgement, had taken it a step further, explaining that he didn’t want to be an accountant. Worse, he’d once again advised giving the firm to Kah. That was what his brother wanted after all, the one thing he had looked forward to all his life. Kah seemed incapable of forgiving Ahk for stealing away his future, despite the fact that Ahk had not wanted it in the first place.

Wrong move, to say the least.

His father had exploded, ranting on and on about what a disappointment Ahk was. How Merenkahre had done nothing but ensure a prosperous future for his daughter- _son, I’m sorry, for my son-_ and now Ahk wanted to go and ruin it with an art degree of all things, not only thoughtless but useless. He had spoken of disowning Ahk should he chose to go through with this plan.

Ahk sat down at his desk, head falling forward to rest on his arms. He could not stop crying this time. It felt as though he’d lost his last threads of hope. He could not see himself ever escaping this place. Happiness was so far out of reach,

After what felt like an eternity of self-pity, a soft knocking on the window stirred him from his thoughts. There was Larry again, hanging from his harness, rags and rollers strapped around his waist. He wore a concerned look.

 _Are you okay?_ he asked.

Embarrassed, Ahk made an effort to fix his hair, which had gone into disarray over the last few minutes. _What do you think?_

Larry looked away, obviously feeling rebuffed, and a wave of guilt overtook Ahk. The man was only trying to be kind, after all. He walked to the window, pressing his palms to the glass briefly before replying. _That was rude, I’m sorry. No, I’m not okay._

_What happened?_

_My father is an asshole._

Larry raised an eyebrow. Ahk shrugged.

_Who’s your father?_

As Ahk spelled out the name, Larry’s eyes widened with recognition. He didn’t make a move to reply.

 _He tries to control my life,_ Ahk continued. _He wants me to run the firm in a few years. Honestly, I’d rather die._

After a long moment, Larry finally answered. _I’m sorry. That sounds awful._

Ahk nodded.

_Can I help?_

Now Ahk quirked an eyebrow, confused. _Why do you care?_

 _Because…_ He paused. _I like you. You seem nice._

_You don’t even know me._

_I’d like to._

Ahk snorted. _Good luck with that._

 _Is that a challenge?_ Larry smirked, giving him another wink for good measure.

 _I know you’re just trying to make me smile,_ Ahk replied. _It won’t work._

_Guilty. I do love your smile._

Ahk felt himself blush brightly.

 _There it is,_ Larry grinned. _Now, meet me downstairs and we’ll go out to dinner. Or something. I’ll wipe that frown off your face in no time._

Ahk giggled, rolling his eyes at the absurdity of the comment. Part of him was considering the offer, part of him wanted to say yes, despite the fact that his father would kill him, that he would probably be disowned on the spot. But he couldn’t. Even with his current discomfort, Ahk did not want to disappoint his parents. Although they were tough at times, they had always been kind.

But goddamn it, he wanted control of his life. He wanted agency of his own, and any choices that Ahk would make did not include working at an accounting firm for the rest of his life, even if there was good job security. Let Kahmunrah run the firm; his brother loved working with money.

But still, his parents. Their expectations could not be so easily shrugged off. Or could they? Ahkmenrah was at a crossroads, and he could not make up his mind.

Then he thought of Wea, the only employee of his father’s to ever show him kindness, and who always helped him avoid work whenever possible.

And Amelia, who always begged him to get out, come live with her if he had to; who’d been his best friend since elementary school.

And lastly, Larry, who seemed to want nothing more than to make him happy, despite the fact that they had never properly spoken, not without a barrier between them.

 _Okay,_ he said, feeling breathless. _Meet you downstairs._

Gathering up his jacket, Ahk slipped out the door and closed it softly, feeling a rush of adrenaline. In the lobby, there was no one save for a few clients waiting to speak with Merenkahre. Wea, bless her heart, saw Ahk coming and distracted them all, letting him slip into the elevator unnoticed. Really, he must remember to thank her one day.

Ahk was finally taking back his ability to act. He was finally going to do what he wanted with his own life, And the first thing on the list was taking an attractive man out for drinks. Nevermind that he technically wasn’t old enough to drink.

Yes, everyone would be happy in the end. Kah could have the company, Merenkahre could still have a son to inherit his fortune, and Ahk could have a chance at making his own way. Things could still work out.

Out on the street, Ahk noticed for the first time how bright the Christmas lights were, and how delightfully cold the drizzle of rain felt on his skin, just on the verge of turning to snow. He realized how fulfilling it felt to finally be a part of the people walking the sidewalks instead of just watching from above. He laughed again, taking Larry’s hand.

Beside him, Larry smiled. “What’s gotten into you?” he signed, and without the barrier between them, their conversation took on a new quality, became much more real.

“Nothing,” he smiled. “Just excited.”

True, Ahk had no idea how he was going to do it. But the possibilities were there, and that gave him hope. There could still be a happy ending.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: I totally had another ending all written out where Larry sort of like. Fell a few thousand feet. But that isn't very festive, is it?  
> Another fun fact: Originally Larry was hearing and Nick was the deaf one. Nick and Kahmunrah totally would have been besties. Kah rolling around with a 10 year old, entertaining him and protecting him from assholes, can you imagine?  
> Last fun fact: They totally slept together after this date, I mean c'mon.  
> (Also I'm pretty sure ASL can't be translated with quite this much precision. Or maybe it can, I haven't had the chance to learn yet. Either way, I tried. Sorry if it's not believable.)


End file.
